Production of compressed gases by electrolysis



April 20 1926.

I P. HAU SMEISTER PRODUCTION OF COIPRESSED GASES BY ELBGTROLYSIS FiledNov. 17, 1923 REGUL/ITOF? M Ey CL MW Q @7211 van for Patented Apr. 20,1926.

PATENT: OFFICE.

PAUL HAUSMEISTER, OI" GOPIPINGEN, GERMANY.

P1810DUCTIOIN OF COMPRESSED GASES BY ELECTBOELYSIS.

Application filed November 17, 1923. Serial No. 675,410.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL HAUSMEISTEB, a

citizen of Germany, residing at Goppingen,

Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theProduction of Compressed Gases by Electrolysis (for which ,I have filedapplication in Germany March 24, 1922), of which the following is aspecification. I

My invention refers to the production of compressed gases byelectrolysis and its parar object is to provide means for obtaining theases in a state of higher purity than was hitlierto possible.

Close investigations of the gases obtained by electrolytical processeshave shown that the gases are not always obtained in a state of suchpurity as could have been expected from the manner in which they wereproduced, not even in the case where suitable diaphragms were insertedbetween the electrodes in order to separate the gases developed at theanode from those developed at the cathode. It has been found that thehigher the pressure in the developing vessel, the more the gases willintermlx. This deterioration of the gases. obtained by electrolysis wasapt to counterbalance the great advantages ofiered by working underpressure in a closed chamber, the main advantage being that any furthercompression, when filling the ases into the steel conticu ' tainers, wasavoi ed; It has further been ascertained that the intermixing of thegases is caused by the difi'erence of absorption of the two kindsofgases in the electrolyte.

Up till now, the electrolytical process had been conducted in suchmanner that gas was developed at first in a closed vessel, until acertain pressure had arisen. After this pressure had been reached, partof the gas had been tapped oil at higher or lower pressure and duringthe tap in'g considerable diminutions of. pressure ad been caused. Withincreasing ressure in the closed developing' vessel, t e electrolytewould'then reabsorb or retain increasing quantities of gas during thefirst period of generation, the quantities of gas reabsorbed or retainedvarying according to the nature of the gases in each individual case.Obviously, this unoff gas, a substantial expansion has taken place, theelectrolyte will give off again the absorbed gases, but this will takeplace not only at that electrode by which the gas had been generated butalso at the other.

According to the present invention, all the variations of pressure-Which impair the purity of the gases are'avoided or reduced to apractically negligible degree by suitably regulating the generation cfgas, the quantity of gas tapped off and the filling up of theelectrolyte.

This regulation can be effected in ditt'erent ways and, if desired,automatically. It is for instance possible to insert in the tap pipesfor the gases automatic regulating valves which always allow only somuch gas to escape that the pressure in the'developer remains constant.It is further possible to cause the intensity of current in thedeveloper to be regulated in dependency upon a contact manometer, sothat, whenever the pressure shows a tendency to diminish, an increasedgeneration of gas will ensue, while, with increasing pressure, thegeneration of gas will be diminished or interrupted altogether.

It is also possible to provide for a corresponding balance of pressureby introducing the electrolyte under pressure, this means also servingto avoid the far reaching expansion which hitherto occurred when theelectrolyte was filled up. Obviously, several such means can also becombined for the purposes of this invention.

The novel process can be adapted with equal advantage in connection withother methods of gas roduction under pressure, the regulation of the gasproduction being efl'ected by other means than by the regulation of thecurrent. In every case, the novel rule of keeping the gas pressure inthe developer constant applies only to the process after it has oncebeen started, while in starting the developing of gases, the gaspressure can be increased without any danger until a desired pressure isreached which shall be kept constant. The main consideration is to avoidan alternating lowering and rising of the gas pressure which would havea decided influence upon the absorption of gases or the setting free ofabsorbed gases, but even an expansion which would act in that way shouldbe avoided.

In the drawings affixed to this specification and forming part thereof,a device chambers 1 and. 2'through pipe 3 from a suitable source ofsupply. Electrodes 5 and 6 are arranged in the chambers 1 and 2 andconnected to the circuit of a generator 7 The pressure in the chambers 1and 2 10 which are in communication at the bottom of their common tankis indicated by a pressure gauge 13 the hand of which cooperates with aconcentric resistance 20, in

the circult of an automatic regulator diagrammatically indicated at 9.

" The gases from the producer chambers 1 and 2, for instance, oxygen andhydrogen, are stored in gas'bottles 14 and 15 which are connected withthe chambers 1 and 2 by pipes 16 and 17, respectively. Automatic re-.ducing valves 18 and 19 are inserted in the modifications will occur toa person skilled in the art.

I claim The process of maintaining the purity of gases generated from anelectrolyte in a closed container, which consists in maintaining aconstant pressure in said container to thereby prevent the release of amixture of gases due to variations in pressure encountered during theroduction of said ase In testimony w ereof I afiix my slgnature.

PAUL HAUSMEISTER.

